The National Investigation Agency (NIA) will seek custody of Abdullah Hadi Abdul Rahman Al-Enezi, who was arrested by the Kuwait authorities Saturday, sources revealed. Al-Enezi is a wanted accused back home. He is alleged to have funded the four Kalyan youths who had fled the country in May 2014 to join the Islamic State or Daesh. “Kuwaiti authorities have confirmed that the arrested person is the one who funded the four Kalyan youths. We’ll seek his extradition so that he can be brought to book,” a senior official told The Sunday Express.

During the course of its own investigation in the case, the central agency had sent a Mutual Legal Assistance Request (MLAT) using an existing pact (The Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty)-with Kuwait, detailing Al-Enezi’s role. The agency’s chargesheet against one of the four youths, Areeb Majeed, who subsequently returned to India and was arrested, states that an Afghan national Rehman Dawlaty had “partly” funded their trip. “On the instructions of Dawlaty, they (the youths) contacted Al-Enezi through Whatsapp. He (Al Enezi) then transferred US $1000 via Western Union Money Transfer,” states the chargesheet.

An NIA press communication issued Saturday said, “The NIA had earlier sent a Mutual Legal Assistance Request to Kuwait in the Areeb Majeed-ISIS case in respect of transfer of USD 1000 by a Kuwaiti national to accused Areeb Majeed and his three associates while they were staying in Iraq in May, 2014.”

This communication added, “The Kuwaiti authorities have now informed that it has been found that one Abdullah Hadi Abdul Rahman Al-Enezi, 32 yrs, a Kuwaiti national had indeed sent 1000 USD to Areeb Majeed through Western Union. He has admitted to having supported terrorist organisations and been involved in financing of terrorism after his return from Pakistan in 2013. The Kuwaiti authorities have registered a case against him and arrested him on these charges. Accused Areeb Majeed and others used the money to facilitate their travel to Syria.”

On May 25, 2014, four men from Kalyan— Majeed, Fahad Shaikh, Amaan Tandel and Saheem Tanki— had taken an Etihad flight to Baghdad. On May 31, they hired a cab that dropped them to Mosul, following which they were reported missing. It was later learnt that they had joined IS. Majeed returned later, but Tandel and Sheikh have become ‘poster boys’ of the outfit. They were recently even seen in an IS propagated video urging Indian nationals to join them. Tanki, meanwhile, is suspected to have been killed in an air strike.